Tying Together Loose Ends
by OpenmindOpenheart
Summary: Shane Call is back. Back home. And she finds that things weren't as they were when she left. For better, and for worse. She finds that with love, you must also have trust. Something that she's struggled with for such a long time. Rated M for language.
1. Get back

Tying Together Loose Ends

"Get the fuck out of the car, you ungrateful bitch."

Mr. Call's dented, rusted, and falling apart pick up truck slowed down with an abrupt jolt. The speedometer dropped from 75 to 5, my head smashed against the dashboard. I'm surprised that a cop hadn't pulled over my so-called father yet.

Although he may be my biological father, I refuse to call him any such name. Father indicates that there is love involved. The relationship I have with Mr. Call, had no such love. The only emotion I felt toward that despicable man is pure hatred.

"The car hasn't stopped yet. How do I manage to get out? Where are we? What's going on?"

"Stop asking so many questions. See that? That's your brother's house. Live with him you worthless piece of shit, I'm not wasting my time with your ungrateful ass. Now get out of my god damn car."

No need to tell me twice. I yanked the handle and the door swung open, I swiftly scooted out of the seat and landed on the paint in the middle of the road. Before I could even brush myself off, the blinking tail light of "living hell's" shitty old truck had rounded the corner, at a faster speed than what we had arrived doing. I stood there in the center of the road trying to comprehend what had just occurred. The sound of a horn woke me from me reverie. I whipped my head around, my chocolate waves obscuring my vision for a few seconds. When my sight had returned, I found myself face to face with a large silver jeep. _Ugh I need contacts or glasses or something, because I can't see anything more than 5 feet away_. But some one, a very, extremely large some one, got out of the car. Probably to question why some freak of a girl was standing in the middle of the street. And as he got closer, and less blurry, he looked familiar. But I couldn't place it, and it was pissing me off. Then it hit me, causing me to gasp. Oh. My. God. There is absolutely no way that…that giant, was my brother. My Embry. But my gasp made him rush forward in concern.

"Are you alright? What are you…" His eyes widened and his lips parted slightly. He remembered. "Shane?" It was barely audible but I could hear it. I hadn't even realized until know that tears had started to stream down my face. Suddenly I was engulfed in huge, muscular arms. He towered over me, which is uncommon considering my 5"6 stature. Most of the guys I had met were my height or just slightly taller. But with Embry, my head rested on his broad chest, making me feel ten times younger than him. In actuality, we were only 3 years apart.

My arms slowly wrapped around his waist. I was hesitant. The men in my life after I was whisked away from Embry left a bad impression. But for the first time in 6 years, I felt safe. "Shane." He whispered to himself, just barely audible. "You finally came home." My heart shot to my throat. My stomach twisted on itself. Tears sprang to my just recently dried, eyes. I was wanted here. I was loved.

"No fucking way! Bro, our baby is back" Wait I know that voice.

"Baby Girl! How dare you just walk out on your brothers?" And that voice too

They may not be my blood brothers like Embry, but they were my older brothers just the same. Jacob Black got to me first. I was scooped up into his arms and cradled as if I was just an infant. Quil Ateara whined, impatient in waiting for his turn for his long lost baby sister. I was placed on the ground for a brief two seconds before being thrown over Quil's back. I screamed out of pure jubilation. This was the first time in a while that I've felt sincerely happy. Just being around them made me forget about all the troubles in my own little world.

I landed on a plush, black couch with a huff. There was an absence of laughter that I had not expected. I looked up to find Jacob and Quil looking extremely angry, and Embry was violently shaking from rage. I looked down to find my shirt scrunched up, exposing most of my stomach. Therefore, the purple bruise the side of a large fist, that lay across my left hip was on display. Also clearly visible, was part of the scar that ran the length of my ribs, on my right side of my body. I quickly shoved the shirt down, but they had seen the battle wounds, and they were unmistakably livid. Embry seemed to have noticeably calmed down, but his face was contorted in a mixture of anger and pain. Awesome I've kept this a secret from everyone for 6 years, and it only takes 10 minutes for the truth to come out here.

"Explain. Now." Embry spoke through clenched teeth.

"I…um…Ca…Can I start from the beginning. I…I might as well explain to you why I left." I cast my eyes down from their intense gazes. I took the silence as them encouraging me to continue.

_Inhale, exhale. You can do thi_s. "Well…um…I don't really know how to start but…" Jacob and Quil rushed to my side noticing my extreme discomfort, while Embry paced back and forth in front of the couch. "It's okay Shane, take your time. We're in no rush," Jacob breathed. His arms wrapped around me in a warm embrace. It was Quil that spoke this time "Shane. We will ALWAYS be here for you. No matter what. Don't you ever forget that." Quil laid his head on my shoulder. "We're all ears." Man this was going to be hard. But they deserved to know. They were my brothers, blood related or not.

"Well as you guys know that after mom pa..passed away, I was whisked away by Embry's stepfather, my biological father."

You see Embry and I shared the same mother, but my mom remarried after Embry's father stepped out on them, and I was conceived. I don't need to explain that, right? And since Embry was so young at the time, he never knew his real father. So Embry took the last name of my "father". My mother saw it fit that Embry take the name Call since my "father" was the only male figure in his life. And my god, my mother had atrocious taste in men.

"Well that was completely against my will. I never wanted to leave you Embry. He tore me from bed that night, threw me in the car, and drove. At its peak, the car drove around 120 mph down a deserted highway. We drove for days; day by day I watched the trees fly by. I had to watch hundreds of houses inhabited by families that loved each other while mine was being torn apart at the seams. We crossed state line after state line, stopping only in Vegas so my so called father could blow all our money on strippers, prostitutes, and slot machines. We ended up in Colorado, living in a small, unkempt house. It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a cramped living room, and a kitchen. The kitchen served no purpose considering he never fed me. The only food I got was what my friends would lend me during lunch. I always told them that my father worked late so he didn't have time to make me any food. But that was a blatant lie. That man never worked a day in his life. Things got progressively worse as time passed. He started hitting me, sometimes adding weapons into the brawls. I stood there and accepted the treatment because I learned not to fight back, it only made things worse. Most of my injuries are just bruises. I only have three scars. A…" I was cut off by Embry growling. He now sat at my feet. He was struggling to control his shaking, but you could tell that it wasn't an easy task.

"Shane." Embry's voice trembled with rage. "How did he give you those scars?"

"Well the one you saw goes from the top of my rib cage to the bottom. He gave me that one right after I was taken from you. I tried to run away, back to you, but he would have any of it. He took a knife and slid it down my stomach. It went in deep, I bled for an hour. He told me if I had ever tried to run away again, the next cut would be deeper. That was the worst incident out of all of them." They were silent, not knowing what on earth they could say to respond to what I had just burdened them with. _Inhale. Exhale. _"The second scar I got about 2 years ago. He had a 'woman' over, and just the sight of me scared her off. He was drunk and angry that I had scared off his drunken prostitute. He was beating me, and I decided to fight back. I tried to shove him back, but that angered him to an extreme. He grabbed one of the empty beer bottles on the couch and smashed it against the side of my head. It shattered, cutting me under my ear. It's the smallest scar I have. The third scar I have is on my knee. He got mad at me for wasting his money on food when he needed it for booze. He kicked me, causing me to fall down the stairs. In the process I shattered my knee cap. Mr. Call refused to pay for the surgery I needed, so I had to work at the hospital for a year to pay it off. But everything else was just bruises or cuts. Nothing else was as extreme."

"Shane. Why didn't you ever call the police? Have him arrested?" Embry's voice was broken. As if all the pain that was inflicted onto myself, was now hurting him. And it killed me inside. It was so much easier when no one gave a fuck about you.

That question is easy. "I always had hope. That eventually I would be able to find your address or get it out of him and I could run away to you. If I called the police, they'd take me away, and all chances of seeing you again would be lost."

"So why are you here now exactly?" Quil's voice was soft and soothing. There was always something delicate about Quil. I bet he doesn't hear the end of that.

"I guess that after 6 years of abuse he decided he didn't want me anymore. So he drove here, and shoved me out of his moving car. You know the rest. Can we stop talking about this now? You're ruining the happiest day of my life."

Embry pulled me off the couch and into his chest. "Shane. You know I would never do that to you, right?'

"Of course Emb. I trust you with my life. You and those lugs over there are the only ones." I joked, but still completely serious about what I said. I hate the fact that even when I'm talking about a serious topic, I still make a joke or say something immature.

"You have no idea how much I missed you."

"But I do Embry. It's exactly the same as how I've felt these past 6 years."

"Alight, alright. Stop with all the mushy junk. We have to introduce her to pa…guys. Bonfire at First Beach tonight remember?" That's Jacob for you. Straight to the point yet completely lovable. Who doesn't love this kid.

"Yeah let's bust outta this joint!" Quil jumped off the couch live a crazed fan girl finally meeting "the love of her life". _Wait! Did he really just say that? Bust out of this joint? Oh how I had missed them. _

"Quil. Don't ever say that again if you want people to actually believe your straight. I mean really. That was just wrong on so many levels." Jacob and Embry laughed as Quil scowled at me. In a second I was over his shoulder for a second time today. I was shoved into the back seat of a Jeep playfully and Quil slid in, not so gracefully, next to me. Embry sat in the drivers seat and Jake hopped up into the passengers seat.

Trees whipped by, La Push hadn't changed a bit. I sighed. And unfortunately this caught the attention of all the boys in the car.

"Shane. What's wrong?" Jake demanded softly yet urgently. God I missed them.

"Nothing. Really. I just. I dunno. I just really missed La Push. It feels great to finally be home. Home is where the heart is. And as cheesy as it sounds you guys are my heart. I have nothing without you guys."

"Well that wasn't cheesy at all Shaney. You actually had me worried." Jake laughed at me. I stuck my tongue out at him, crossed my arms over my chest and huffed.

"Jake look what you did. You got baby mad." Quil poked me in the side causing me to squirm. With one fluid movement, I swung my body facing Quil and slammed my fist into his arm. Usually this would evoke even the slightest bit of pain in the recipient, but instead, I was the one with pain inflicted upon. My hand was throbbing. Their faces turned hard again.

"Okay. What the heck! Are you guys made of stone or something?"

Quil chuckled at my exclamation. Jacob cracked his signature smirk. But Embry's face was still creased with worry from what I could see in the mirror, apparently worried about my hand. _Alright. It's a challenge. Embry will laugh._

"So um guys. Can you hook me up with your dealer? I mean where can I get me some of the steroids you guys are jacked up on?" Quil was in hysterics at this point. He was always the easiest to make laugh. Jacob actually snorted. Yup. He's never going to live that down. Yet Embry still hadn't changed his previous expression.

"Embry stop. I get it you're my big brother and you just got me back. I understand that you want to be over protective, it's your job as an older brother. But making fun of me, laughing at me, that's part of your job too. SO STOP BEING SUCH A LITTLE GIRL AND LAUGH AT MY DANG JOKES." Jacob and Quil snickered at the fact that a 15 year was yelling at her huge, 18 year old brother. Embry scowled at them. "And that goes for you two as well. You boobs." This time is was their turn to scowl as Embry howled at my word choice. _Win! Challenge accomplished. Embry Call has laughed. _

The car had come to a stop and the boys hopped out of the car, but I had yet to move. New people terrify me. 6 years of abuse can do that to you. So I sat there, trying to build up enough courage to open the door. Jacob and Quil had already started making their way toward the group of people surrounding the flames of the bonfire. Embry in turn had noticed my lack of movement. He opened the back door on the opposite side of the Jeep and sat down next to me where Quil had recently occupied. And he sat there in silence with me, waiting for me to ignite the conversation.

"Embry." My voice was weak, and it came out as almost a whisper. Embry wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.

"We don't have to go out there if you don't want to. But these people are the nicest people I know. They would never do anything to harm you. You have to realize that it'd different here Shane. No one will hurt you and get away with it. Hell no one will ever hurt you in the first place now that I'm here." God, I loved this boy.

"Alright, alright. I believe you Embry. Let's go. I bet your friends are great people. I want to have fun tonight."

I slid out of the car and started to walk toward the grand fire, at a relatively slow pace, hoping Embry would catch up sometime soon. So I stopped bent down and slid off my ratty old sneakers. They were once a birthday present from my friend Riley back home, black and blue high tops. I had been talking about how gorgeous they were for the longest time. And she stuffed them in my locker on my birthday and with a note that read "Now that you have the shoes…shut the fuck up about them. Love you loser." But now these shoes were worn out and had seen better days. The love I had for these shoes never wavered though. I held them both in one hand, allowing my feet to sink into the rough sand. The fact that I had nothing in my hands to hold besides my sneakers puzzled me. I thought I came with something. SHIT! I left my phone in the car. Riley got it for me on a different birthday. She hated calling my house because of the fact that my "father" might pick up.

I turned around to find Embry leaning into the car, rummaging around, obviously looking for something, yet so far failing to find it. "Hey Emb. I left my phone. Can you-" He waved it behind his back already one step ahead of me. "Thanks Emb. Love you" I called while turning around.

Time seemed to slow as I watched my inevitable fate occur right before my eyes. He was running straight toward me, head facing toward the campfire, tilted slightly upward. His lean legs propelled him forwards, directly at me. He was wearing a loose fitting, white t-shirt, leaving me to imagine what could possibly be underneath it. _Hey! I'm a 15 year girl. Whaddya expect? _And then time seemed to suddenly quicken. His body slammed against mine, sending me sprawling backwards towards the ground. It felt like all the air had been forced from my body in one swift gush. If he hadn't put his arms out I'm sure I would have been crushed. This boy was nothing less than huge. He had unbelievable muscle. And now in our close proximity, there was nothing left to imagine. I could feel the muscles in his chest and I honestly could say my heart skipped a beat. The football he must have been aiming to catch fell next to my head with a distinct thump then bounced off out of my vision. Heat was radiating off his skin, I'm assuming from the closeness of our proximity. He turned his head down towards me and when our eyes met I felt as if all the air had been knocked out of my lungs for a second time. He had these gorgeous, sparkling, sea green eyes. His eyes widened when they met mine and his mouth fell open. His gaze was intense and something sparked within his eyes, but I couldn't decipher what it was exactly. It was as if he was just as lost in my eyes as I was in his, which couldn't be possible considering my eyes were a dull grey/green color. Then something new flashed in his eyes. Pain. Easily recognizable, yet completely unexplainable.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay. I didn't hurt you did I? Please tell me that I didn't hurt you." His voice was rushed and pleading. Like his world revolved around whether I was injured or not. And even though I just met him, it killed me inside seeing him in pain. _What the hell is going on?_

"Yeah I'm fine really. Don't worry about it. I know it was just an accident. No need to freak out over me."

He smiled warmly at me and I felt my checks flame up. I tore my eyes away from intense gaze, embarrassed by the blush that was prominent on my cheeks. Why does this boy have such an affect on me? I just met him and he's already made me blush. I don't think anyone has ever made me blush. Ever. But because of this unnamed boy, my cheeks burned. I felt as if my whole body was on fire as well, and when I cast, my eyes down I found that he was still situated above me. And even though I yearned for his closeness, I knew that this position would definitely not go over well with Embry. So when I met his gaze this time, I lost all ability to speak. All the things I formulated in my head on what to say died in my throat. God those eyes. It's like I'm fucking drowning in them.

I was forced to cast my gaze downward again after our eyes met for a second time. I felt vulnerable under his intense gaze, and I hate the feeling. Growing up in the environment I did after my mom died forced me to create this wall. Very few people have ever seen me vulnerable and I did not like the feeling of it. But I was suddenly distracted from my unnerving state of weakness as the sight of our bodies still close together, not one of us had yet to move an inch. He hovered above me, unmoving, and I was stuck, trapped below him. If this situation wasn't so awkward considering the fact that I don't even know this kid, I would've loved the feel of it. Where the fuck is Embry anyway?

"Your…um...kinda on top of me." I kept my eyes averted from his, staring at a freckle on his right shoulder. It was kinda cute actually. Okay honestly what the hell has gotten into me?

"Oh right. I knew that. Sorry…again." He slowly pushed himself off of me, so he stood towering over me. He offered me his hand, which I took gratefully. And when I had myself situated I found that he still towered over me, just slightly smaller than Embry and the other boys were. I was about up to his chin, and if I leaned in close enough, my head, it seemed, would fit perfectly into the crane of his neck. Honestly, why is everyone here taller than me, barely anyone was taller than me back in Colorado. Oh shit. I still don't know this kid's name. I should introduce myself.

"Hey. Um, by the way, I'm Shane. If you, uh, wanted to know or anything.

Which you probably didn't. Uh, I should probably stop talking now. Yeah that sounds good. So uh…yeah." AH CRAP! I fucking ramble and I just made a complete fool of myself. That's just awesome. He laughed, clearly bemused my short comings. Oh thank the lord. He doesn't think I'm a freak, or at least a complete weirdo.

"I'm Collin. Sorry again. I should've been looking where I was going."

"Really it's no problem Collin." I rocked back and forth on my feet, not really knowing how to continue with this conversation, but not wanting it to end. And then Collin stiffened, anger flashing across his eyes. His eyes fixated on whatever stood behind me. I turned around slowly, to find my self face to…well…chest, with Embry, who was visibly shaking with rage.

*All credit goes to Stephine Meyer.*


	2. Finding Peace in Total Chaos

Chapter 2: Finding Peace in Total Chaos

"Collin what the fuck is wrong with you? You could've hurt her. Do you see how fucking fragile she is." Anger poured from every word Embry spoke. _Excuse me? Fragile? Oh hell no._ I took a step towards the violently shaking Embry, only to be pulled backwards into Collin's chest. Collin had hold on my wrist, not tight enough to hurt but enough to not enable me to wiggle from his grip. I turned toward Collin about to question why he held me from my brother but I was cut off the second I parted my lips.

"Shane. Don't please. This isn't your battle to fight."

"Not MY battle to fight. It's not YOUR battle to fight. I'm not fucking 5 years old." I whipped around to send Embry a glare at those words, signaling that they were meant for him. "I can handle myself thanks." But my heart stopped when he looked me in the eyes. Again with his fucking eyes. But he was pleading with me not to fight, no words spoken. No words necessary. And I couldn't. Couldn't do anything that would hurt him.

"Please don't. You could get hurt. I won't let you."

"You think I'd fucking hurt her? Get the fuck away from her." _Embry had to choose now to enter the conversation didn't he? Ah fuck._

"Embry stop. You need to calm down. Collin didn't need do anything wrong. It was an ACCIDENT!" I don't know why I'm so worked up over this guy. I've never begged before, why would I start now for some guy I just met?

"Shane stop. He could've hurt you. I just got you back Shane. I promised you, hell I promised myself, that I wouldn't let anything or any-ONE hurt you." Embry sent glare at Collin. Collin pulled me farther back, one hand lightly holding my waist and one firm but gently around my wrist. I looked up at Collin and again when our eyes connected, I felt all my emotions rush to my heart, ready to burst out in mere seconds. But this was cut short. By Embry…growling? Embry's eyes had darkened and his shaking was violent. He looked back and forth between us.

Speaking directly to Collin, Embry growled through clenched teeth. "Are you fucking kidding me Grey." _Shit he's using Collin's last name, I think? That can't be good. _"I just fucking got her back, I'm not letting this happen."

At this point I was completely lost. I don't understand, what's he talking about? What's he not letting happen. I'm so confused right now.

"Embry I couldn't help it. Honestly. And you know that." Collin's voice was stern and unwavering. _Oh why thank you Collin for clearing all this shit up. I mean it totally makes sense now. Please note the fucking sarcasm._

Embry was still shaking, Collins words no affect on him. If it weren't for the fact that Collin was shielding me from Embry at this point, Embry probably would have launched himself at Collin with out having to worry about my safety.

"Emb, can we talk about this somewhere else. Bro."

"I'm not. Your fucking. Bro."

I had never seen Embry so upset. So…angry. He was now in a fit of rage, shaking more violently than he had when he'd seen my scars.

"Embry stop. Let's not make any rash decisions. We don't want anything to happen to Shane here." The voice was raspy and deep. Control and authority poured from his words. I turned around to view the speaker and found another abnormally large man. Even larger than Embry and Collin actually.

It was at this time that I realized that there were other people here. Their attention focused on us. I've always hated being center of attention. Afraid that everyone else could see my flaws. Afraid that they could find the things I hate about myself, and hate me too.

"Shane come with me while they work this out." Jake said grasping my wrist lightly. Collin was reluctant to let go of my other wrist at first. Jake lightly tugged me towards him and Collin slowly released his grasp. Jake tugged me lightly into his chest, then walked me towards the large campfire in the distance. He walked slowly, taking much smaller strides than his long legs allowed him to go. He was waiting on me to say something, anything. It's surprising how easy I can read Jake. But the thing is, I have absolutely no idea what to say.

Jake chuckled softly, with his gaze downcast, landing on me. "This is a historical moment right here. Shane, you're speechless. I've never witnessed this before." Jake threw his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his armpit, still laughing at his own joke. "Ay, yo Quil. Shaney here is at a loss for words."

"Holy shit man. The world must be coming to an end!" Quil and Jake high fived, as I tried to wiggle free from Jake's iron grip. _Yeah, fuck you guys. I can be quiet…sometimes. _

"Maybe it's the fact that she can't breathe with her face buried into your armpit." This new voice was soft and gentle. It belonged to a very tan woman with jet black hair that fell straight down, past her shoulder blades. One side of her face was flawless, a high and defined cheekbone and an arched brow. The other side was scarred. 3 long scars blemished her right cheekbone. I averted my eyes from her battle wounds, knowing the attention you get when scars are revealed. I hated having to explain my scars, it was like reliving the pain all over again.

"Hi, I'm Emily. Jake and Quil wouldn't stop raving about you just 10 minutes ago." She shot Jake a loving smile as Quil groaned. Jake blushed and pulled me closer into his side. Emily had a very motherly atmosphere about her.

"What can I say? I missed you…midget." _Fuck you Jake. _

I huffed, aggravated by the fact that he continued to bring up how unnaturally short I am. I'm fucking 5"6. Jake's just abnormally tall. Every guy here is abnormally tall. What. The. Fuck.

"You know what Jake? No. I'm average height. I just don't take growth hormones for breakfast, lunch, and dinner like everyone else here does."

Quil pried me from Jake's grip, pulled me towards him. "Alright Shane. Calm down. Come on, why don't you come meet the guys."

We came closer to the actually fire pit to a group of humongous guys shoving smores down their throats. It looked as if they hadn't eaten in years.

The one with the least sloppy disposition approached me first. He stuck a hand out for me to shake then looked down at the gooey white marshmallows smeared across his palm and fingers. "Oh right. Sorry." He retracted his hand and gave me a small wave which I returned smiling. "Hey. I'm Seth. Sorry about them." He pointed behind him to the group of oversized teenaged boys. "This was after they already ate dinner." He sighed and shrugged. He seemed very bubbly and energetic. Like a genuinely nice kid to be around. He seems about a year or so older than me. I laughed lightly as Seth returned to his seat and began to eat, with more human like qualities than the others.

The next guy to approach me was a boy around Collin's size. They were probably the same age. "Hi, I'm Brady. Sorry about that throw, I'm just too strong for my own good." He smirked at me and flexed his bulging muscles that were ever so prominent because of his shirt that was cut sleeveless. _Cough, cough, showoff._

"Yeah, I mean, I guess it was a good throw. I mean there wasn't a spiral or anything, but it went pretty far." I shot Brady a sly smile. Quil burst out laughing and Brady's face turned red with anger. He swiftly shifted his weight to position himself in reach of Quil. In one fluid motion, he swung his fist out and punched Quil in the arm. Quil shrugged off this powerful blow as if he felt nothing.

"Brady, I'm sorry. I usually come off as a bitch to people I don't know." Brady laughed and opened his mouth to respond, hopeful willing to forgive and forget, but he was quickly cut off by Quil suddenly interjecting.

"Actually, once you get to really know her, she's even more of a bitch."

And then I guess Jake saw this as an opportunity to make fun of me along with Quil, and quickly seized the opportunity. "It's true actually. She always has to have some witty comeback to throw at you. Or she uses big words to make us feel stupid."

"Well it's not that hard to do." I quickly shot back.

Jake smirked "Exactly."

"I hate you both." I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Guys leave her alone. I'm sure she has plenty of dirt on you, I'd advice not getting on her bad side." A girl with tan skin and long, charcoal hair spoke up. She was wiping chocolate off the lips of the guy whose lap she was currently sitting. His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Hi Shane. I'm Kim. This is Jared." She pointed to the large young man situated beneath her. "And that annoyingly obnoxious eater over there is Paul." Kim pointed to another large guy who was ravenously eating smores.

"Well it's nice to meet all of you. I'm Shane, but you probably all know that. Sorry about before. I hate making scenes. Can we just forget that all happened? I always seem to make a fool of myself in front of new people."

Quil laughed at my discomfort and threw his arm around my shoulders, and pulled me toward the campfire. He sat down in the middle of the group of boys along with Jake. I sat further of in the cool sand and drowned out the sounds of their loud conversations. I took in the natural beauty of this place. The shore stretched out in front of me, leading up to a rocky cliff. Below the cliff was another rocky area, where the water just barely engulfed the bottom of the rocks. Behind me was a dark forest, thick and green. It seemed almost alive.

I stood up silently and brushed the white sand off my clothes. I made my way down to the rocky shore below the cliff, unnoticed. I learned very quickly back in Colorado how to become invisible. My dirtbag of a father never really attempted to find me though.

I sat upon a rather large rock and pulled my knees up to my chest, sighing. I'd forgotten how nice it was out here. I let the nature around me completely engulf me. I stared out at the black sea that met the black sky at an unknown horizon line. The moon was full and bright against the cloudless night sky. The small stars seemed dull in comparison to it. I continued to stare out into the seemingly endless landscape until the image of the moons reflection on the glassy water was burned onto my retina. It was breathtakingly beautiful out here. And the banter back at the campfire was drowned out by the soft waves crashing against the sandy shore and the cicadas that lived deep within the dark forest.

"It's beautiful out here isn't it." The voice was familiar to me.

I turned to find Collin sitting on the rock beside me, legs stretched out, feet resting in the shallow water. His long arms extended out slightly behind him supporting his weight, enabling him to gaze at the sea and the stars without much effort. His head was turned toward me, eyes fixated on mine. I gave him a small smile then turned my head back to face the sea, chin resting upon my knees.

"It's stunning. It all seems so…surreal." I took a deep breath, inhaling the salty air. I glanced over to find Collin staring intently at me, not bothered by the fact that I had caught him staring. It was as if he was trying to figure me out. _Well that could take a while._ I stretched myself out to be in the same position as Collin. My feet slid into the cool water, making goose bumps rise on my bare legs. _Damn, I wish I wasn't wearing shorts. _

"Oh shit. Where are my shoes?" _Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Those shoes mean the world to me._ I sat there flipping out over the whereabouts of my shoes, stopping suddenly when Collin laughed to the side of me.

"Shane calm down. I picked them up after um…yeah. Sorry about that again. But um yeah, I brought them over to the campfire."

I sighed in relief then blushed for my embarrassing spaz attack just moments before. "Yeah thanks…and don't worry about it. I'm not mad or anything." I signed, throwing my head back to stare up at the lightly dotted sky.

I lost track of what time it was. The moon was rising higher into the sky, making the white sand glitter in its light. I don't know how long we sat there together in silence. It was a comfortable silence though. Just us, sitting there, silent, staring up at the stars, enjoying each others company. It was nice. Like we almost didn't need words. If we had spoken, it would've broken the beautiful silence of this peaceful landscape. I lost track of what time it was. I knew Collin's mind was jumbled with a mixture of thoughts, as was mine. But neither of us wanted to break the delicate silence that filled the air around us. It was weird. I've never felt so comfortable with someone I just met before.

"Collin, can I um… talk to my sister?"

*Again all credit goes to Stephenie Meyer for her original characters.*

**And I am extremely sorry for updating so late. I've been extremely busy and I've been trying to get writing incorporated into my schedule. Finals are coming up, so next update might be slow, but I PROMISE that I will update every week over the summer.**


	3. White Sand And Black Sea

Chapter 3:

Embry. I didn't even need to turn around, I recognized the voice immediately. I rotated slowly, turning to face Embry. I found Collin already turned around facing my brother, who was standing just a few feet behind the rocks on which Collin and I sat. His left arm was across his stomach, rubbing his right arm, rocking back and forth on the his feet. He was avoiding eye contact at all costs, evidently uncomfortable in the situation. I looked to Collin whose eyes were locked on mine. _Look away, look away. Focus._

"Don't you think you should be asking me that question. I'm tired of being talked about like I'm not even here." I pulled my gaze away from Collin to have it rest upon Embry.

Embry's right hand was now in his hair, scratching his head, eyes still diverted. He was searching for the right words to respond with. "Erm, yeah. Shane, can we talk. Alone please." He glanced at Collin, a slight sour expression clouded his face even though he tried to cover it up. I glanced at Collin who failed to notice the look Embry just shot him, his gaze still directed toward me.

I tore my eyes from Collin's and looked at Embry who was obviously still in extreme discomfort. I rose from the rock slowly, balancing as well as I could on the slippery rock on which I had been sitting on. I slowly crossed the rocks back to shore. Embry grabbed my arm lightly once my feet touched shore, knowing how unsteady I can be. I turned back around to face Collin, ready to tell him I'd be back quickly and to apologize for leaving, but he spoke before I could.

"It's alright, I'll just head back to the bonfire anyway. I might as well get this over with." He sighed, standing up as well. _Wait what?_

"Get what over with?" I looked at Collin who seemed to be searching for what to say.

"It's nothing, really. They're just going to dog on me for accidentally tackling you, and um, yeah. Collin sighed and I smiled warmly at him.

"Well, if you want you could always tell them that I'll kick their butts if they give you hell. Plus, you can tell them that technically it's partially my fault anyway."

"It wasn't your fault at all Shane. You were just walking, I'm the one who's at fault here. I should have been looking where I was going. I apologize again for that." Collin moved towards me, closing the gap between us.

"I don't blame you at all, so you shouldn't blame yourself either." But I could tell that he still didn't listen to me. He refused to believe me. "I forbid you from blaming yourself for the incident that occurred earlier." I put my hands on my hips and puffed up my chest as to look scarier and more authoritative. Obviously it wasn't working seeing as Collin was now looking down at me laughing. My chest was now pressed against his, the distance between us was lost quickly.

"Oh yeah? You and what army?" Collin laughed as he waited for my next witty response.

I laughed as I pushed up my short sleeves to show my muscle, and I flexed to show the limited amount of muscle I have. "This army. Yeah that's right. Be scared." Collin chuckled at the fact that my muscles looked like twigs compared to his muscles, which seemed about the size of my head.

I completely forgot the presence of Embry just feet behind us. That is until he cleared his throat, breaking us up from our reverie, in which we were the only two on the beach. "Ahem. Can we um. Talk now." Embry was getting antsy, and I could see that I was being inconsiderate towards him.

"Sorry Emb. Yeah let's go." I walked toward Embry and we parted from Collin, as we walked are separate ways. Collin walked off toward the campfire, as Embry and I walked off to the open sand.

"Look Shane. I'm Sorry." And brought us to a halt in the middle of the empty beach, far away from the campfire. "I know I shouldn't have overreacted But I care about you Shane. A lot. I mean I just got you back and I don't want you to get hurt. Especially when you're in my care. God, I've just missed you so much."

_Oh my god. I'm going to cry._All the anger I had held toward Embry evaporated after what he just said to me. "Embry. I honestly don't think anyone has ever cared about me..."

Embry cut me off immediately. "I've always cared about you. from the day you were born to today. And everyday in between, even if we weren't together. I never stopped caring about you. And I never will. Until the day I die. Because no way in fucking hell are you dying before I do. No way in fucking hell. You're my baby sister.

"Embry you boob. I'm going to cry. I love you so much. Gah. My big brother." _Awww we're having a brother-sister moment. _

I threw my arms around Embry's waist and laid my head on his chest. _God I forgot how much I miss THIS. How much I miss HIM._

"Come on Shane. Let's go back to the campfire now, alright?" Embry pulled back fromour hug.

"Ugh Embry. I'm too lazy. Carry me." I whined, elongating the words I spoke. I slyly smiled a him and jutted out my bottom lip.

"Ugh fine. Hop on my back." Embry turned around I and jumped onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind, and he took hold of my jean clad legs. He seemed to not even feel my weight. It was as if he wasn't even carrying anything. _Tool. _

"March." I pointed past his head instructing Embry where to go as he laughed. I continued to direct him by loudly singing "LEFT, LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT."

We reached the campfire within minutes and Embry let me down off his back gently. Embry joined the rest of the abnormally sized men. I resumed my previous seat off to the side of the campfire where no one noticed I was not involved. Well last time no one noticed. But this time, someone did. Collin.

"Hey." One word. One fucking word. It left me breathless. He sat down next to me in the cool sand, legs bent slightly, his arms wrapped around them in a way that had his wrists lying against his knees.

"Hi." I glanced to the side to find that for once tonight, his eyes weren't directed towards me, but rather he stared straight ahead, gazing out into the dark black sea.

Then suddenly Collin rotated his body and was facing me. "Let's play a game." I turned toward him and laughed.

"That's not random or anything. But sure. What game?" I now rotated my body as well, facing Collin. I sat criss-cross in the sand, or Indian style. Whatever you want to call it. Collin mirrored me, positioning himself to sit as I was.

"How about 20 questions? Except I ask you a question and after you answer truthfully, you ask me a question. And we both get 20 questions each."_Sounds pretty good to me. _

"Deal." I waited for Collin to ask me the first question, and he sat there looking off the the left, pondering what he could ask me.

"Alright. Let's start of easy. What's your favorite color." Collin turned back towards me while questioning and awaited my response.

"That's not easy! I don't know!" Ugh. I hate this question. So many colors out there to choose from.

"Well it's an easy question for normal people." Collin nudged my foot with his and smiled at me. _What. A. Boob._

"Well my favorite color would have to be green." _Like your eyes. Gah, what the fuck am I saying? _

"Same. Well grayish greenish. Kinda like a mixture of the two." _Weird. My eyes are that color. _

"Well that didn't count as a question, you answered it on your own free will." I told Collin while sticking my tongue out at him.

"Here, I have an idea. I know this isn't really what you're supposed to do in this game, but why don't we both answer the question. The person who asked the question answers second though. Deal?"

"Deal." I smiled at him and my heart fluttered when he returned the smile.

"Alright so it's your turn then." Collin was still warmly smiling at me, and it was hard to think straight.

"Um. Let me think." I racked my brain for any question that I could ask Collin. "Oh I got it! What's your favorite type of food. Like Italian, Chinese..."

Collin thought for a minute before answering. "Well I pretty much like all food, but my favorite would have to be Italian. What about you Miss. Shane?"

"Um it all depends on my mood usually but it's definitely a tie between Italian and Mexican."

"You can't have ties!" Collin leaned forward and mock yelled at me.

"Oh yeah? Who says? It wasn't in the rules!" I leaned in forward as well, joining into this argument.

"Well now I say that there are no ties!" Collin moved closer then he already was, challenging me._Oh this kid is going down. There is no way I'm letting him win this argument. _

"Well now I say there can be ties! SO HAH!" I challenged him and moved even closer, our noses inches away from touching.

"Fine." Collin huffed. I poked him in the middle of his chest and watched as he over dramatized it and fell over backwards holding his chest and moaning "ow" over and over. I couldn't stop laughing as he looked up and me with a hurt expression, his lower lip quivering.

"How could you?" He gazed up at me as I relaxed back into sitting position and he lay on his back holding his so-called wound.

"Oh stop complaining, it's your turn to question anyway." At this, Collin shot back up immediately and sat back in his original position. _Someone's a little excited?_

"Oh right. Okay. So um. What's your...uh..." He fumbled over words while searching for something to ask me. "Favorite movie?"

"Um I don't know, I love a lot of movies, but I'd have to say It's Kind Of A Funny Story with Emma Roberts and Keir Gilchrist." _Emma Roberts is probably one of my favorite actresses. of all time. Legit. _

"I've never seen that movie before." Collin sounded confused, as if he had never even heard of it before.

"Then you're just going to have to watch it with me." I smiled at Collin whose cheeks darkened slightly. It was hard to notice in the dim light of the moon, and with his russet skin tone. But I could see the slightest trace of a blush amongst his cheeks.

"I guess so. But my favorite movie would have to be The Hangover. Funniest movie ever." Collin leaned back on his arms with his legs still crossed.

"I've never seen that movie, but I've heard of it before." I had been wanted to see it, but I didn't have the money.

"Well then I guess that movie is on our list of movies to watch together."

It was my turn to turn a dark shade of scarlet, ever so prominent on my light skin. Until a shadow shaded my face from the light of the moon, and covered my tinted cheeks. It was Kim.

"Hey guys, the guys and I are going for a midnight swim, wanna join?" She stood before us in a tiny bikini that fit her small figure perfectly, Jared stood not so far behind her, eyes never leaving her ass cheeks.

"Um I'd love to, but I can't. I don't have a bathing suit on me, sorry. But Collin can still go if he would like." I gave him an apologetic look before facing Collin.

"No it's okay. I'd rather stay here. I'll pass on this one Kim. But don't worry, Jared seems ready to have plenty of fun with you." Collin laughed and winked at Kim who whipped around quickly before Jared had time to raise his eyes.

Collin and I laughed as Kim ran over and smacked Jared in the shoulder then hopped onto his back. They took off running toward the deep water, where the rest of the boys seemed to await them.

Collin turned back to me, smile on his face. But I was confused. Why did this boy take such an interest in me? Why does he want to spend time with me when he could be out in the warm water having the time of his life. But instead he chooses to stay on the chilly beach with boring-ol me.

"Why didn't you go with them?" I questioned Collin who glanced up at me quickly then cast his gaze onto the floor.

"Um. Well I'm just getting to know you. And I don't want you to sit out here all alone. Plus. There's just something about you that intrigues me." Collin lifted his gaze while speaking, staring directly into my eyes.

Wow. I was breathless. Speechless. "Um oh. Well thanks." _How do I even respond to something like that?_

"That counts as a question. Period. No arguments." Collin stuck his tongue out at me while laughing as I pouted. "Which makes it my turn!" Collin tilted his head off to the side while thinking.

I scoffed, "You boob." Collin just laughed and continued to ponder quietly.

Collin looked up at me suddenly, and spoke in a barely audible voice. "Why are you here all of a sudden? What's your story."

I froze. I stopped breathing and just sat there looking at him. What could I possible say to him?

*Look I'm extremely sorry for the long while it took to update. I had major writers block, and absolutely no inspiration. But I got this chapter out, and I'm writing the 4th chapter as we speak. Again I apologize for the wait.

**I love all off you, and I want to know all of your opinions. You're always free to write me a message and tell me ideas you have for the story.

***And sorry for all the spelling mistakes. I just got a MacbookPro for my birthday and I have Pages on here, and I haven't really adjusted to it. Plus I wrote this in a rush so I could get it out as soon as possible. So just ignore my errors, I tried to fix them all.

~Julia :D


End file.
